I would suggest you try to get application fee waivers. If you can get a document from the financial aid office at your school stating that an application fee is a financial burden for you then you could get fee waivers. I applied to 9 programs, 8 of which offered a fee waiver. So I only paid for 1!
rising_star, thank you for the elaborate response! would you suggest to ask the department all of those questions? (about the additional fees and what the health insurance includes) also does the health insurance programs give usually include dental?
akacentimetre, i private messaged you. check it out whenever you can!
rising_star, so what would you say is a good way to calculate whether your funding offer is good or not. if it's about cost of living, is it simply subtracting the amount of rent you would pay during a year or are there more variables to take into account?
For those who are currently attending programs, what would you say are standard/good 5 year funding offers at top 20 programs?
That is, what is a fair range of a stipend and salary during TA years?